Shirt protector



- 1,513,939 H. c. SMITH SHIRT PROTECTOR Nov. 4 19.24

Filed Oct. 26 1923 HARRY C SM T Patented Nov. 4, 19214.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. SMITH, OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARION R. GRAY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SHIRT PROTECTOR.

Application filled. October 26, 1923. Serial No. 670,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Barbara, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shirt Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention being referred to as a shirt protector, it should be understood that it is an object of this invention to provide simple and effective means for the protecting of a shirt, or a shirt-waist, or undergarment, or the like, after the same has been manufactured and folded, or laundered and folded, in a usual manner, to prevent soiling or undue wear, as the shirts, or equivalent garments, may be supported on shelves or displayed for sale or otherwise handled.

It is a common observation that after shirts-have been suitably folded and pinned in a customary manner, and whether or not cardboard or the like is inserted in order to assist in the preservation of the shape thereof,the fold which commonly extends transversely across the bosom of a shirt is likely to show soiling or wear, as a result of contact with dust upon a shelf or an enclosing case, or as a result of handling, or contact with the garments of employees or patrons of a store on whose counters the same may be displayed for sale; and it is an object of this invention to provide simple and effective means, preferably in the form of a sheet of suitable material properly cut and apertured to permit of ready attachment to a shirt or similar garment, and to permit of ready detachment therefrom and repeated reuse, for protecting the mentioned transverse fold which ordinarily extends across a shirt front in the vicinity of the third button thereon.

It is an object of this invention to provide a shirt protector which may be formed simply of a sheet of heavy paper, or the. like, transversely creased or foldable and preferably provided with a pair of elongated apertures resembling button-holes and adapted tofit over the button of a shirt or similar-garment, and to be secured thereon; and, in a preferredembodimcnt of my invention, the mentioned apertures or slits, may optionally be made of such length as to permit of a suitable adjustment adapting the same to use upon shirts whose buttons may be differently spaced.

It is an object of this invention to 're-enforce a protector capable of adjustment in the manner described or otherwise, and also capable of reuse, and it is within the scope of this invention to employ sheet metal, such as suitably cut units formed from aluminum, or the like, made up in standard sizes and adapted each removably to receive one or more shirts or similar garments, the embodiment of my invention here referred to being optionally provided with resilient clips, which may optionally be of such character as alone removable to retain a protector upon a shirt or the like.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of preferred and alternative embodiments thereof, taken in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 may be regarded as aplan view showing a shirt partially folded and provided with a protector of advantageous form, as the same would appear when spread out flat, in preparation for a final folding transversely of the bosom thereof.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view, showing the appearance after a final folding transvgrsely of the shirt and the protector there 0 Fig. 3 is a separate view of a folder shown in perspective, this view illustrating incidentally a proposed type of retaining clips suggested for use in connection with protec-= tors formed of sheet metal or the like.

Referring to the details of that specific embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 being a shirt or similar garment, folded lengthwise in a usual manner, this shirt being provided with a series of buttons B B, B B and B 2 is a shirt protector, which may consist simply of a sheet of comparatively; tough paper, corresponding in width to the width of a shirt or other garment to be protected and provided at 3 and 4t with slits or button-holes extending lon'gitudinally thereof, and suitably spaced to permit of the insertion of buttons, such as the buttons B and B therethrough, to secure the same, the protector 2 being preferably pro ded in advance with a crease or creases 5, protectors as are formed of sheet metal, l extending transversely thereof and adaptmay optionally provide any sheet metal shirt 1 to serve as a guide n the finalfolding of protectors with additional securing ,nieans shirt into the form shown in Fig. 2, from such as the resilient fingers 7, shown in Fig. in inspection of which it will be obvious that 3 as stamped from and integral with the prohecrease formed by the final folding retector proper, although bent downward and ferred to is fully protected by the sheet or" curved in a manner facilitating the insertion paper or equivalent material extending thereof a shirt, or the like, and preventing any acover. Y cidental relative displacement.

Although I have above referred to the em- It will be obvious that when my shirt pro- 75 ployment of tough paper as a suitab e matectors are formed of'sheet metal, of suffiterial, for use inthe preparation of my novel cient thickness to oive the same a comparasl irt protectors,'it should be understood that tive permanency of form, "a shirt, or thelike', an referred alternative material such as will have to be given its final fold before it lightcardboard, or glasine paper, or sheet shall be inserted thereiii,the interval between 80 meta l ,or celluloid, or cloth, or a composite. the creases or corners 8, 9, of a protector being materiahsuch as a layer of cloth protected in all cases, when two'such creases are emby a layer 0 M f tough'paper, may be employed ployed, preferably adapted'to the thickness according to the requirements of trade or the of the garment to be retained and protected conditions of use, it being also within my inthereby; and the dimensions of my protectors 85 vention to employ either aplain material or a may in any case be determined with refercolored or striped or figured material, and once not only to the protection and to the prothat material employed may optional y per display of a garment, but with due refbe provided with decorative or printed materence also to convenience in the handling or 25 te'r, such as an advertisement, trade mark or packing or stacking of garments, and to their description, and also that the outline of my disposition either in boxes or in show-cases rotector'may be modified or varied as deor upon shelves, the adjustab'ility anddesired, either for artistic or utilitarian "purtacliability of, my protectors being such as to poses, and that when slits of the character render them suitable for repeated; reuse in 30 referred to'are reliedup'on'as securing means, connection with either similar or dissimilar 95 they may be employedi'n any suitable numshirts or other garments.

her either spaced in exact accordance Although I have herein described oi ecoin' with the requ rements of a particular garplete embodiment of my invention, and va- 6m) Whose b I S re positioned t 'pre-' llOllSftltel'IlittlVG embodiments thereof, it will.

0 I M adJUStablc be ObVIOUS that various features of my inv, m be, independently employed,

der visible the fold of the garment underlying the fold of said sheet.

3. A protector for folded garments comprising a sheet of material adapted to he placed over a fold of the garment and having apertures adapted to engage the front buttons of the garment.

4:. A protector for folded garments comprising a. sheet of material adapted to be placed over the transverse fold in the garment, and means integral with said sheet of material for securing the ends of said sheet to said garment.

5. A protector for folded garments comprising a sheet of material adapted to be placed over a fold in the garment, and spring fingers struck out from said sheet of material and adapted to engage said garment.

6. A protector for folded garments com' prising a sheet of material adapted to be placed over a fold in the garment, and means permitting said garment to be viewed through said protector at the fold.

7. A protector for folded garments comprising a sheet of material adapted to be placed over a fold in the garment, and a sight opening formed in said sheet permitting said garment to be viewed therethrongh at the point of the fold.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY C. SMITH. 

